Coal-car cover.



T.S. CROWELL.

COAL CAR COVER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1915.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m x we m Q&

WETNE'SSES TORNEY T. S. CROWELL.

, COAL CAR COVER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. I916.

1,$09,265 Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

2 SHE ETSSHEET 2.

- which THEODORE S. CROWELL, 0F BRUINS, ARKANSAS.

, COAL-GAR COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19,1916.

Application filed May 11, 1916. Serial No. 96,953.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE S. CRoWnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bruins, in the county of Crittenden and State of Arkansas, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Coal-Car Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates .to an improved type of coal car cover and the principal object of the invention to provide a cover hingedly mounted upon the coal car and provided with improved means for releas ably holdingthe cover in a closed position, the securing means including a structure which will permit the brakeman to walk across the car in going from one end of the car to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved locking means for the leaves assist in holding the cover in the closed position and to further provide im proved means for releasably connecting the leaves at the free ends leaves at each side of the car will form a substantially integral nected structure.

This invention is illustrated in the accoin panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is atop plan view of the improved car cover. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the improved car cover and the upper portion of a coal car. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through one end portion of 'the car and cover. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of pivotally mounting the hasps forming part ofthe locking means. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showina modified manner of releasab'ly connecting the leaves forming part of the cover securing means.

tendin The coal car 10 has its side walls provided.

with outwardly extending flanges 11 and has its' end walls provided with outwardly e'xflang'es 12, the flanges 11 carrying hinge rackets 13 and the flanges 12 carrying hinge brackets 14 for hingedly mounting the hasps 15. Rods16 pass through the 50 hinge brackets 13 and pass through the eyes 17 of the rods 18 so that these rods 18 will be mounted upon' the rods 16. Keys 19 are passed through the ends of the rods 16 and prevent the rods 18 from slipping from the ends of the rods 16. These rods'16 serve as pivot pins for the arms 20, the free ends of vseen that when it is desired thereof so that the but releasably con- I car in which are connected by the cross bars 21 1, 2 and 3 it will be readily seen that when in use, the wide overhanging strips 22 form a gangway across the coal car so that the rakeman can easily walk across the car when moving from one end of a train to the other. In order to connect the heads of these leaves which heads are formed by the cross bars 21 and overhanging strips 22, therehave been provided eyes 23 through which extend securing pins or fasteners 24.. These securing; pins 24 are releasably connected by the hooks 25 and it will thus be to remove the cover of the coal car, the hooks can be-swung to an inoperative position and the leaves then swung to one side of the car where they will hang as shown in Fig. 4. If desired, in place of the pins 24, there may be provided hooks 26 which will be mounted by means of eyes or staples 27 and engage eyes 28 to releasably connect the heads. of' the leaves as shown in Fig. 5. he outer end portions of the end leaves are provided with openings 29 through which the pins 30 will pass, the pins passing through the openings 31 of the hasps 15 and provided with openings 32 throughwhich the leaded wires 33 may pass to seal the car after it has been filled. It will thus be seen that after the car has been closed and the sealing wires put in place, coal cannot be removed from the car by unauthorized persons and further that the coal cannot be wasted by being jolted from the going over rough places in a road. It will does not interfere with the holding capacity of I the car and further makes it very easy for the train crew to move from one end of the .train to the other over the coal cars.

The operation of this device is as fol- 'lows:The car is first filled with coal and the leaves are then swung downwardly to the closedposition with the wire screening 34 carried bythe arms 20 covering the car so that the coal cannot spill or be removed by unauthorized persons. Before the leaves are swung downwardly, the hooks 26 connected with the inner faces of the leaves may be swung to engage the eyes 28 or after the leaves have'been moved to a closed posibe further noted that this closure 7 "overlapping connecting be swung upwardly pins 30 and the rods of the hooks 25 with tion the hasps 15 may upon the upper ends of 24 connected by means the outer ends of the end rods extending in be emptied, the cover can be easily released by removing the sealing wires and releasing the rods after which the hasps can be swung to the releasing position and the covers raised.

What is claimed is 1. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle having side and end flanges, hinge brackets connected with said side flanges, closure leaves including bars terminatingat their outer ends in eyes, rods extending through said hinge brackets and eyesto pivotally mount said bars, cross rods terminating in eyes mounted upon and releasably held upon pivot rods, end bars for said, leaves connected with said hinge bars, means for releasably connectingthe end bars of the adjoining leaves, overhanging strips secured to said end ba'rs, eyes carried by said overhanging strips, rods extending through said eyes, means releasably connecting said rods, pins extending upwardly from said end flanges through openings formed in the end bars and overhanging strips, and securing hasps pivotally connected with the hinge brackets of the endflanges and extending in relation to the overhanging strips and provided with openings through which said pins pass, said last mentioned rods extending to engage said hasps when 'moved to an operative position.

i 2. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle, hinge'brackets carried by said receptacle, hasps pivotally connected with certain of said hinge brackets, closure leaves including, hinge bars pivotally connected. with the remaining hinge brackets, end bars for said leaves connected with the hinge bars thereof, tread strips con nected with said end bars, means releasably said end bars, pins extending from said .receptacle through said end bars and tread bars and through said hasps when the leaves are in a closed position and the a the end portions of thefastening means hasps in an operative position, securing rods connected with said tread strips and engag-' ing said hasps when the hasps are in an operative position, and means for releasably connecting said rods.

3. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle, closure leaves hingedly connected with said receptacle and including end bars, tread strips carried by said end bars, securing hasps engag ng s a1d tread strips when in an operative position,

rods slidably connected with said tread strips and having their outer end portions engaging said hasps to hold the same in an operative position, means releasably connecting sai rods, and locking means for said hasps passing through the end bars, tread strips and hasps.

4. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle, closure leaves hingedly connected with said receptacle and including end bars, tread strips, securing means for said leaves engaging said tread strips, rods slidably connected with said tread strips and having their free end portions engaging said securing means, and means for releasably connecting said rods.

5. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle, closure leaves hingedly connected with said receptacle and including end bars, tread strips, means for releasably connecting adjoining leaves within said receptacle, fasteners engaging said tread strips to releasably hold the leaves in a closed position, and means carried by said tread strips for engaging said securing means to hold the same in engagement with the tread strips.

6. A structure of the character described comprising a receptacle, closure leaves hingedly connected with said receptacle, forsaid closure leaves en gagin the outer faces thereof, and means carrie by said closure leaves for releasably holding the fastening means against movement toward an open position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature "in presence 0 two witnesses.

Witnesses: v

I W- G, CROQK, v i 1 E. RICHARDS. 

